Claire smiles victoriously and her eyes light up. It’s like she’s tasting her success. Completely disgusted, I glance to Carter, who’s stone-faced and gritting his teeth.

  “I don’t like extortion, but if that’s the game you want to play?” Elena looks over her shoulder, double-checking whether Claire truly wants to go down this road. Claire shrugs, unbothered by the accusation. Elena inhales deeply, pinning Claire with a curious look. “I see. Well, very well, then. Remember, it was your choice to play hardball. I will continue to see Jacob . . . if you’d like to continue receiving an allowance. At all.”

  “What?” Claire exclaims. “You can’t do that!” She fists her hands at her sides, angry, but I don’t think she’d actually get physical with Elena. Her M.O. doesn’t seem to be bold confrontation, given she’s been lurking in the shadows of Thomas and Elena’s dealings for years.

  “I certainly can. It’s still my signature on all the financial dealings. Guess I’ve still got some wits about me, don’t I?” Elena says. It’s a gloat, but she truly seems pretty sad and disheartened by this whole conversation.

  Claire seems to have lost her steam because she clamps her mouth shut, glares hellfire and damnation at Elena, and then walks toward the door. As she passes Carter, she sneers at him, “This is all your fault.”

  Carter flashes his cocky grin, the one that made me hate him for so long, and Claire growls as she stomps out. A few seconds later, the front door slams.

  Changing directions, Elena shakes her head woodenly but meets Stanley’s eyes. “You, dear friend, have nothing to worry about. You’ve given your life to this family, and we will take care of you for the rest of yours. I would never subject you to that.” Elena jerks her head toward the door where Claire disappears. “When you’re ready to retire, my friend, just say the word.”

  “Thank heavens,” Stanley says with obvious relief, wiping at his eyes. “Elena, I’m sorry. That woman has been killing me. Tell me this, do that. What she said made sense, and though I’m loyal to you, I didn’t want to be isolated from your family.”

  Elena walks to Stanley, who stands. “You are my family. Me and Thomas always felt that way, and I’m sorry if we didn’t let you know that sooner.”

  She embraces Stanley, who stays still for a moment before wrapping his arms around her too. A quick second later, he pulls back. “Ma’am.” He dips his chin once, deferentially. “Should I tell Nelda to expect guests for dinner?”

  Elena smiles. “Please.”

  Stanley escapes, seeming glad to get away from all the drama and shouting, and Elena turns on Carter and me. “First order of business. We need to quadruple-check that every bit of paperwork lists out Claire’s access and allowances. That is . . . if you’d still like to work for the Cartwright estate after all that?”

  Carter holds his hand out. “It would be my honor.”

  “Good. I thought maybe that’d scare you off and I’d spend dinner with your daddy telling him that I’m snatching you from his good graces.”

  Carter chuckles. “No, I’m with you. But fair warning, Dad’s probably going to make your little tiff with Claire look like child’s play.”

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-ONE

  CARTER

  “All right, we’re here. And you are not supposed to be, so what the hell is going on?” Dad growls under his breath as he and Mom come in the door. He manages to look both furious and disappointed at the same time. Mom places a calming hand on his arm, and judging by the tension around her eyes, the drive to Elena’s wasn’t pleasant.

  “Good to see you too, Dad.”

  I’m lying through my teeth again, something I swore to not do. Which is why I’m glad Dad’s here. I’m ready to move forward with Elena, but the process to get there is going to be painful at best. It’ll be tough love honesty for both of us.

  Dad looks past me and sees Luna and Elena, who’ve been chatting about the various art pieces in the front room. I think Luna is basically on cloud nine, hearing the detailed stories of how Thomas acquired each and every piece directly from Elena, and Elena is enjoying sharing Thomas’s excitement with someone who wants to hear every detail.

  It’s actually been really helpful. After the drama with Claire, I think Elena was wiped out. It’s not every day you have to assume a mantle you may not like and handle things with that much cold, hard strength. But Luna’s light and joy have steadily filled Elena back up, and she’s returning to the whip-smart, funny woman she normally is.

  “Carter?” he says in a warning tone.

  “Mr. Harrington, it’s so good to see you again.” Elena approaches with her hand outstretched and a smile the belies the drama of today. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

  Dad raises a brow, side-eyeing me as they shake. “I wasn’t exactly given a choice.”

  “Charles,” Mom says, smiling congenially in an attempt to smooth over Dad’s gruffness. “We’re delighted to come, of course,” she tells Elena. “Good to see you too, Luna.”

  Luna steps forward, offering her hand to Mom. “Thank you.”

  She returns to my side and gives me an encouraging smile. She knows how worried I am about this conversation with Dad, but also how resolved I am.

  “Why don’t we come in here and sit down?” Elena says. “Let’s eat and talk.”

  Elena doesn’t wait for agreement, simply walking to the formal dining room. She’s putting on the mantle again, ready to turn it on Charles Harrington if necessary.

  The vibe is very different from the kitchen table where Elena usually eats. It’s heavy, formal, as close to regal as we get in America. Following her, we sit around the dark wooden inlay table with Elena at the head, and Nelda appears with a bottle of wine to pour a glass for each of us.

  “Ready for salad?” she asks Elena, who nods in answer.

  When Nelda disappears back into the kitchen, Dad’s patience runs out. “Not to be rude, but what is going on here?”

  Elena chuckles. “No worries at all. I understand my niece, Claire, made a visit to you recently?”

  “You could say that,” Dad agrees warily. “Why?”

  “Let’s just say she’s a bit of a brat, that one,” Elena grumbles. “Hasn’t met a boundary she didn’t want to cross. And that includes coming to see you. She shouldn’t have done that, shouldn’t have spoken for me or the estate.”

  Dad’s eyes light up. “You mean Blue Lake Assets is still in consideration to manage the Cartwright portfolio?”

  Elena looks to me with a warm smile. “Something like that.”

  Dad jumps right into selling Blue Lake again—how it started, how it’s grown, how his leadership has led to a broad base of successful partnerships on several fronts. He might as well be tooting a horn that screams his own name, completely ignoring the fact that I’m the one who sought out Elena, got to know her and her portfolio needs, and has been dealing with her this entire time.

  Not once during his impromptu presentation does he mention my name. Not through the salad course, and not as Nelda sets down plates with roast chicken and root vegetables.

  “Interesting,” Elena says dryly when Dad finishes his one-man show. Thankfully, she’s not impressed at all. She might as well be yawning in boredom.

  That’s why this is going to work between us. I don’t want a formal, impersonal relationship with my work. It’s my passion, and I want to do my best, confident that it will be recognized and appreciated.

  That’ll never happen with Dad, but it will with Elena.

  “Though Claire might’ve overstepped, I’ve decided to go another direction with the management of my portfolio. No hard feelings?” Elena asks, then takes a bite of her carrots.

  Dad’s smile melts and his eyes jump to mine as he realizes what Elena’s saying. There’s anger there. Despite his whole rigamarole show, he thinks I’m the one who somehow blew this for Blue Lake Assets. He has no idea what I’m capable of.

  “Dad, I’ve learned so much from you—how to be a man and how to be a businessman. And I will always be grateful for those lessons. But recently, I’ve been feeling like there’s a world out there for me that I haven’t explored. A world beyond Blue Lake.”

  Mom’s jaw drops open as she gasps, “Carter?” In contrast, Dad’s jaw goes tight as he clenches his teeth.

  “Effective immediately, I will begin my own firm—Carter Harrington Asset Management.”

  “You are not serious,” Dad grunts as he rolls his eyes dismissively. “Carter, you’re good, and one day, you’ll be great. But not yet. You’re not ready.”

  I want to rant and rage, tell him how wrong he is and that I need his support, not condemnation. But that won’t help matters. If anything, he’ll see it as affirming his thoughts about me. So I take a deep breath and meet his eyes boldly.

  “I feel I am. But I can never know for sure as long as I’m in the Blue Lake shadow, always worried about playing second fiddle to my father . . . or my brother,” I tell him honestly. “I am doing this, Dad. I’m leaving Blue Lake and striking out on my own. I plan to—”

  Luna places her hand on my thigh beneath the table. Her support means everything as I tackle this. I lay my hand over hers, weaving my fingers through hers.

  “I’m taking over the Cartwright portfolio for Elena. Luna and I are married for real and staying that way because we’re in love.”

  Boom. Boom. Boom.

  I drop all the bombs at once, each feeling so important that I can’t hold one back in favor of the other. I want to shout it from every rooftop so that everyone hears.

  So that Mom and Dad hear.

  Dad laughs disbelievingly. But Mom skips right over the Cartwright part and squeals, “Carter! Luna! You’re married? For real?”

  Elena leans back in her chair, watching the scene before her like she orchestrated it herself. Hell, maybe she did somehow. “Now that’s a proper show-off. Let the games begin,” she murmurs.

  My parents are the loudest reaction, but my focus is on Luna. I want to protect her from any shrapnel my bombs might have. She’s my priority, and this is the type of thing that could make her panic again. I won’t let that happen.

  I hold up a hand. “Let me explain.”

  Dad pushes back from the table sharply, standing to try and lean toward me. With his hands planted on either side of his almost-empty plate, he roars, “Explain? There’s nothing to explain. You’ve lost your mind.”

  He’s completely forgotten that Elena is here to witness this breakdown. But I’m doing my best to remember that and behave accordingly—as the strong and professional person she can entrust with her most valuable assets. It’s hard when my ego wants me to stand and roar back at my father.

  Gritting my teeth, I manage to say, “I’m managing Elena’s portfolio. And I love my wife, Luna.”

  I take her hand from my lap, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand to reiterate, and then give Elena a grateful nod. She was right to keep her nose out of things and see how they played out. Because this is what matters. This is the life I’m creating for myself, the one I’m choosing.

  “Charles, let’s hear him out,” Mom suggests as she tugs at his sleeve, trying to get him to sit back down. “I want to hear about this marriage.”

  That’s Mom.

  Both of my parents care, though they show it in such different ways. Mom’s always worried about our mental and emotional well-being first, while Dad wants to make sure we’re putting food on the table and upholding our reputations.

  “The details don’t matter, that’s between Elena and me. We have worked out how Mr. Oleana will transition responsibility over to me so he can retire. It’s done,” I declare, shutting the door on the business side of things to focus on what Mom wants to hear about. “The important thing is that Luna and I are together, happy and in love.”

  “He is so much like you,” Mom says out of nowhere, looking at Dad fondly. “Remember when you were full of piss and vinegar like that, so ready to tackle the world that you wouldn’t let anything hold you back?” She laughs lightly, and Dad frowns at her. But he can’t stay mad at Mom. He’s never been able to.

  Dad chuckles unintentionally. “I didn’t run off and get married for a business deal,” he counters as he jerks his head toward me, talking as if I’m not sitting right here to listen. But his tone is much lighter as Mom works her magic on him.

  “No, we got married because we had a deal of a different sort and you didn’t want to tell your dad. Surprise!” She waggles her eyebrows at Dad, and I realize what she’s insinuating.

  “I thought Cameron was born early?”

  Elena pats my hand, explaining kindly. “That’s just what we used to say when the baby was born seven or eight months into the marriage, dear. And polite folks went along with it and told you how nice it was that the baby was so big for being early.”

  I blink, looking at Mom and Dad in shock. How did I not know this? It doesn’t change anything, not really, but there’s also a sense of satisfaction that maybe Dad wasn’t always perfect.

  Dad fidgets with his fork, examining his plate and his thoughts. When he looks up at me, he asks, “Are you sure?”

  I don’t know if he’s asking about the portfolio management or Luna. It doesn’t matter because the answer’s the same either way. “Absolutely.”

  Dad turns his eyes to Luna, who surprisingly meets his and holds his gaze. “Are you sure about this idiot?” There’s no hate in the name-calling. It’s more of a tease.

  Luna frowns, but there’s a glint of humor in her eyes. “There’s a fine line between love and hate, but yeah, I’m sure.”

  She grins at me, proud of herself for the dig. In reply, I lean in, closing the gap between us and placing a sweet kiss to her lips. We did it. Together, we’ve gotten through a gauntlet of battles today, and I couldn’t have done it without her at my side. Too quickly, she pulls back and I can see her blushing furiously at the public display.

  “Y’all are too cute,” Elena declares.

  I nod and tell Luna, “Yes, you are.”

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-TWO

  LUNA

  “Are you sure?” Samantha asks me, triggering a sense of déjà vu.

  But this time, there are butterflies of a totally different sort. “You asked me that last time I got married too.”

  Samantha tilts her head. “Yeah, and you told me no. Now?”

  I take a moment, searching my head, heart, and soul. It’s been a few weeks since the big dinner at Elena’s. During that time, so much has changed, but it all feels . . . right, which is unusual for me. I typically hate change, but moving in with Carter, living as husband and wife, and exploring our love for one another in many ways and many positions have been revolutionary. For us both.

  I meet Samantha’s eyes in the mirror and smile. “I’ve never been surer of anything.”

  “Ooh, I like that confidence!” she replies with a shoulder shimmy. “Let’s do this thing, then.”

  ‘This thing’ is a vow renewal. Melinda mentioned wishing she’d been present for our first wedding, and Carter and I had talked about it. After we realized that we would like to include our families in our wedding, we’ve worked to pull together a small, intimate celebration.

  Samantha and I walk downstairs into the front room of Elena’s home. It’d seemed the perfect place to have the ceremony because it’s what brought us together in the first place.

  “I’ll be right back. Let me check to see how close to showtime we are,” Samantha tells me as she hustles out of the room, leaving me alone.

  I look at the painting over the mantel, one of Thomas Cartwright done by the subject himself. His self-portrait seems to look back at me. “Thank you for all this,” I tell him. “As much as Elena brought Carter and me together, it was you, too. Your art, your collection . . . if it weren’t for you, there would’ve been no need for us to pretend to be married in the first place.” I step closer, laying gentle fingers on the corner of the frame, careful not to touch the canvas. “Thank you.”

  “Hey, honey, I think we’re ready if you are!” my mom says brightly as she comes in the room. She looks up at the painting, smiling happily. She doesn’t understand my love of art, but she’s always supported it, and finding me staring at a painting on one of the most important days of my life doesn’t surprise her in the slightest.

  “I’m ready, and thanks, Mom. For everything.” I wrap my arms around her, and she hugs me back gently so as not to mess up my dress or hers. She’s been amazing with all of this, welcoming Carter with open arms as my husband, already having heard all about him from the years of Zack working with him.

  “You know she’ll do anything for you, Moony,” Zack says from behind me.

  Mom and I pull apart, turning to face Zack. He’s grinning widely, leaning on the doorframe. “Would you look at you two? Absolutely stunning.”

  Mom’s wearing a soft blue cocktail dress that makes her look glowy. It matches the blue shirt that Zack has on. He looks sharp, but casual. My white dress is the same one I wore previously. It felt important to wear it again because though our relationship is different now, the vows that Carter and I spoke before are still just as true. Today, we’re expanding them, not rewriting them.

  “Not so bad yourself, Zack Attack,” I reply. “And Mom would do anything for either of us.”

  “That’s what moms are for.” She shrugs like she’s no big deal, but Zack and I both know she’s amazing. “We do need to get a move-on. They’re ready for you.”

  Samantha pops her head around the corner. “Yes, they are. Elena sent me to find you.” She pauses, her eyes scanning the room. “One question, though . . . all of Carter’s family is here, right? There’s basically a whole Baywatch cast of blonde, beautiful people out there.”